Our Neighbor: Corey Roman

Friday

Dec 29, 2006 at 9:00 AMDec 29, 2006 at 11:28 AM

BY TIFFANY R. LEONARD The Dispatch

Corey Roman, a Lexington High School graduate, was like many other senior nursing students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro until July 2, 2004, when she suffered from major injures that many thought would prevent her from graduating.She was driving on a trip to her grandmother's house in Virginia for the Fourth of July. Her sister was riding in the front passenger seat, her mother was sitting in the back seat, her uncle was in a car behind her, and her brother was in a car in front of her leading the way. They left at about 6 p.m. traveling down U.S. Highway 220, which Roman described as poorly lit and curvy. They were about 15 miles from her grandmother's house when her sky blue Honda Civic, which she had purchased four days prior, was demolished after a head-on collision.She remembers stopping at a gas station, and the next thing she recalls is seeing the windows broken out, her air bag covered with blood and smoke bellowing from the hood of the car."I do not remember the accident," she said. "I remember the injuries."After a couple of failed attempts to open her door Roman discovered that she had a broken arm. Then she noticed that both of her legs were bleeding.Using the Jaws of Life, the rescue squad was able to free Roman and her family, who were all wearing their seat belts at the time. Her mother, Elma Jean Hamilton, and her sister, Nikita Vinson, were freed from Roman's crumbled car with scraps and bruises.The next thing Roman remembers is waking up in the intensive care unit July 6 at Carilion Roanoke Hospital. She had been incubated and was on a respirator. After further self-examination, Roman noticed a long abdominal incision with staples, a drainage device attached to her left leg, a cast on her right arm and an external fixation device on her right leg.Doctors told her that she had a right tibia/fibula open fracture, a broken elbow, a dislocated shoulder, an open wound to her left leg and foot drop, a condition of weakness in the muscles of the foot and ankle caused by nerve conduction to her right foot. Because doctors thought she had sustained a pancreatic hematoma, they performed exploratory surgery, which ruled out the hematoma but left a 10-inch scar on her abdomen. Doctors had also placed both a gastrostomy tube and a Jejunostomy tube in her stomach because they were concerned about her nutritional status. A nurse later ordered a nasogastric tube.Roman remained in the hospital for three weeks and received physical and occupational therapy before returning to school in August."There were some that said take off, but I was trying to get (finished with) school," Roman said.She had recovered as much as possible before taking on a full course load at UNCG that upcoming semester. In a wheelchair and crutches for the first three months, Roman took her required nursing course, including her clinical rotations, which she did on crutches."It was emotionally draining," Roman said. "I had to get up early and go to doctor's appointments. It was a lot of hassle."She received her walking boot in November and wore it until February.While being restricted to a wheelchair and walking on crutches, Roman said there were a lot of things that she took for granted."You can't move like you used to move," she said about her limitations while recovering. "I missed climbing, exercising, wearing regular pants and shoes. It was not about looking cute."With the support of her family and church family from Files Chapel Baptist Church in Lexington, Roman was able to graduate on time. In May 2005, Roman, who was the class speaker, walked across the stage in her walking boot and received her diploma."Graduation was bittersweet," she said. "It was the biggest accomplishment."When asked why she was so dedicated to graduating on time, Roman replied, "I would be mad at myself if I did not try."Since the fall of 2005, Roman has been working as a registered nurse at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro in the medical/surgical intensive care unit."I know I am a great nurse," Roman wrote in a story for the Journal of Christian Nursing. "I have been a patient. I know what a difference a good nurse can make."Because she remembers how life was for her while on crutches, she said she finds herself lending a helping hand by opening doors and other things for people who are using crutches."If I see a person with crutches walking about, it brings back a bunch of memories," she said.In addition to working at the hospital, Roman volunteers as a church nurse and dances on her church's praise dance team."I felt like that was my calling," she said. "It is a way I can praise God."While laying in the hospital bed, Roman said she often spent hours crying and asking God "why me?" Now instead of asking why, she said she is saying "thank you, God."Roman is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The group's mission is to empower communities through committed services.With her sorority, Roman provides public service within her community and participates in food drives and other volunteer services.Roman still has a drive to succeed. She plans to go to graduate school to obtain her MBA in nursing and health care administration so that one day she will be able to open her own home health care facility.Tiffany R. Leonard can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 235 or at tiffany.leonard@the-dispatch.com.

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